Range finder



Original Filed Dec. 31, 1940 :8 ea, 17, 2a,}

INVENIOR:

Jdcques Bolsey Patented Sept. 17, 1946 UNITED STATE FATENT RANGE FINDER Jacques Bolsey, New York, NY.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 372,507, December 31, 1940. This application April 30, 1943, Serial No. 485,177

This application is a substitute for abandoned application Serial No. 372,507, filed December 31, 1940.

My present invention relates to improvements in photographic and cinematographic cameras and more particularly to range finders combined with reflex cameras.

It is an object to combine a reflex camera with a built-in range finder arrangement.

In order to attain the above object I propose to combine with a reflex camera of the usual type a range finder arrangement with a reflecting member arranged in such a manner that the light beam is reflected through the reflex viewing chamber of the camera, using thus this chamber simultaneously for focusing and range finding.

The novel features which I consider as characteristic for my invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a frontal View of the camera according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the camera shown in Fig. 1, along line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a cross section through the camera shown in Figs. 1 and 2, along line 33 of Fig. 2.

As shown in Figs. l-3, the reflex camera Ii! comprises a camera casing ii, a camera lens l2, a lens mount [3 for lens l2 arranged on the front wall is of the camera casing H, a translucent screen it for focusing purposes arranged parallel to the top wall It of easing I I, a central exposure and viewing chamber H in casing l I, and a tiltable focusing mirror 36 in this viewing chamber ll adapted to reflect the light rays entering casing it through lens l2 on the translucent screen !5. All above enumerated elements are Wellknown, commonly used, parts of every reflex camera; their constructive details and mode of operation will, therefore, not be described in detail.

I combine with the above reflex camera a range finder arrangement comprising two openings 18 and E9 in the front wall it of casing ll defining a horizontal base and adapted to accept two light beams 20 and 2] coming from the object to be photographed; the range finder arrangement further comprises a first reflecting member 22 arranged in casing II in the path of light beam 2% and reflecting this light beam inside of easing l i 2 Claims. ((31. 95-44) 2 parallel to wall it, as indicated by numeral 23; a second reflecting member 24 is arranged at least partly in the path of light beam 2! and adapted to reflect light beam 23 substantially parallel to the path of light beam 2!, as indicated by numeral 25; a viewing opening 26 is provided for in the rear Wall 21 of the camera casing arranged in the path of light beam 2! and the twice reflected light beam 25.

As shown in Fig. 2, the reflected light beam 23 passes inside of easing it through the openings ill and 38 in the walls 39 and Q5, respectively, of the viewing chamber I'l parallel to the camera front wall 14 and translucent screen l5, crossing the path of the light rays reflected by the focusing mirror 86.

Th reflecting mirror 22 reflects light beam 26 along path 23, as described above. This mirror is journalled turnably, as indicated by numeral 28, and provided with a lever arm 34 cooperating with a cam 35 mounted on the lens mount E3 or lens l2, Thus, lever 34 adjusts mirror 22 in accordance with the movement of lens l2.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of my invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: g

1. In a reflex camera a camera casing, a camera lens, a lens mount for said lens arranged on the front wall of said casing, a viewing chamber arranged in said casing and having side Walls, aligned apertures in said side walls, a translucent screen for focusing purposes arranged within said viewing chamber parallel to the top wall of said casing, a focusing mirror in said viewing chamber adapted to reflect the light rays entering said casing through said camera lens on said translucent screen, two openings in the front wall of said casing defining a horizontal base and adaptedto accept two light beams coming from the object to be photo-graphed, a first reflecting member arranged inside of said casing in the path of the first of said light beams and reflecting it inside of said casing through said aligned apertures in said side walls of said viewing chamber and said viewing chamber itself along a path parallel to said camera front wall and said translucent screen crossing the path of the light rays reflected by said focusing mirror, a second reflecting member arranged at least partly in the path of the second of said light beams and adapted to reflect said reflected first light beam in a direction parallel to the path of said second light beam, a viewing opening in the rear wall of said camera. casing arranged in the path of said second and said twice reflected first light beams, and means for adjusting said range finder in accordance with the position of said camera lens.

2. In a reflex camera a camera casing, a camera lens, a lens mount for said lens arranged on the front wall of said casing, a viewing chamber arranged in said casing and having side walls, aligned apertures in said side walls, a translucent screen for focusing purposes arranged within said viewing chamber parallel to the top wall of said casing, a focusing mirror in said viewing chamber adapted to reflect the light rays entering said casing through said camera lens on said translucent screen, two openings in the front wall of said casing defining a horizontal base and adapted to accept two light beams coming from the object to be photographed, a first reflecting member arranged inside of said casing in the path of the first of said light beams and reflecting it inside of said casing through said aligned apertures in said side walls of said viewing chamber along a path lying above said translucent screen parallel thereto and to said camera front wall crossing the path of the light rays reflected by said focusing mirror, a second reflecting member arranged at least partly in the path of the second of said light beams and adapted to reflect said reflected first light beam in a direction parallel to the path of said second light beam, a viewing opening in the rear wall of said camera casing arranged in the path of said second and said twice reflected first light beams, and means for adjusting said range finder in accordance with the position of said camera lens.

JACQUES BOLSEY. 

